The Home Improvement Thread

[Shazam]

Are you paying a yearly fee to some community organization?

IIRC there would be a caveat on the title stating you have to pay.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Are you paying a yearly fee to some community organization?

Nope.

[Shazam]

Then unicorns and lollipops on the siding!

[Cube Inmate]

Does anyone have recommendations for driveway resurfacing in Calgary? Mine is structurally pretty sound, but badly pitted on the surface. If there's a good solution to just resurface instead of replacing it completely, I'd like to know and save some cost and keep from adding to the landfill.

I've heard of rubber resurfacing as well as other possibilities, but don't really know how they hold up over time. I'd appreciate any first-hand experiences.

[CroFlames]

I have an unfinished basement that I don’t plan on finishing for probably another 5 years.

Someone said I should just use some cheapie paint to paint the floor to prevent dusting or efflorescence until I’m ready to finish it.

Is this a good idea or should I do something different? I feel like it’s quite dusty (new build) and I would like to do something.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I have an unfinished basement that I don’t plan on finishing for probably another 5 years.

Someone said I should just use some cheapie paint to paint the floor to prevent dusting or efflorescence until I’m ready to finish it.

Is this a good idea or should I do something different? I feel like it’s quite dusty (new build) and I would like to do something.

Yep, just slap some floor paint on there (I think you have to acid etch first...the instructions with the kit will be clear) and you'll have completely eliminated the dust problem forever. It also looks nice.

[CroFlames]

Got any brand suggestions? I don’t want to buy absolute crap, but it’ll be covered again in about 5 years so no need for some fancy bullet proof coating either.

[Ducay]

Only thing I would add before commiting to painting the flooring, is look into whatever option(s) you might consider for flooring ultimately to ensure whatever you lay down doesn't impact it.

Chances are low you'd epoxy your basement anyways, but that and some other substrates (say, some tile thinsets, etc) could be impacted by the paint. You wouldn't want to create a huge issue down the road by having to then remove all the paint. Likely a non issue, but a little due diligence now could save some headaches.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Got any brand suggestions? I don’t want to buy absolute crap, but it’ll be covered again in about 5 years so no need for some fancy bullet proof coating either.

No, sorry. I did it in my old house in about 2004. I just wandered into Home Depot and the rando working at the paint desk told me what to do and I did it. Wasn't epoxy for sure. I believe it literally was basement concrete floor paint. IDK...worked perfect for the few years before I eventually laid carpet over most of it, but it was still just the painted floor in the utility room and it didn't once scratch or peel or do anything negative.

[postman56]

Hello does, anybody have some good recommended companies for wall slat, to organize my garage?

I'm having the floor refinished and thought it would be nice to try and organize all the garden tools etc on a wall.

[Calgary14]

Originally Posted by Cube Inmate

Does anyone have recommendations for driveway resurfacing in Calgary? Mine is structurally pretty sound, but badly pitted on the surface. If there's a good solution to just resurface instead of replacing it completely, I'd like to know and save some cost and keep from adding to the landfill.

I've heard of rubber resurfacing as well as other possibilities, but don't really know how they hold up over time. I'd appreciate any first-hand experiences.

You can buy sealant at Home Depot, I think a 5 gallon bucket is about $150, and then spread it on with a roller. I do that once every couple years with ours and it makes a difference. Is yours aggregate? Ours is and the sealant adds a layer to protect from the snow, salt, shovels, etc.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by postman56

Hello does, anybody have some good recommended companies for wall slat, to organize my garage?

I'm having the floor refinished and thought it would be nice to try and organize all the garden tools etc on a wall.

I personally bought a Proslat system when it was on discount at Costco. I haven't installed it yet, but it seems pretty straight forward.

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/pro...kit/1000847120

I think I paid $180 at the time for the 8 x 4 and it came with a few of the accessories.

[lazypucker]

I've got a question about garage door rust, like this:



So my garage door has rust along the bottom. I did some research and I know that I have to clean up the rust, sand them down, and then repaint it.

I know that if I just repaint the part I sanded off, there will be a colour blend-in issue. But I do not want to repaint the whole door.

Any suggestions? Can I get some weather stripping and nailed it along the bottom to cover up the sanded off area? Or does that not going to work?

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

I've got a question about garage door rust, like this:



So my garage door has rust along the bottom. I did some research and I know that I have to clean up the rust, sand them down, and then repaint it.

I know that if I just repaint the part I sanded off, there will be a colour blend-in issue. But I do not want to repaint the whole door.

Any suggestions? Can I get some weather stripping and nailed it along the bottom to cover up the sanded off area? Or does that not going to work?

What if you didn't try and blend it with the door? Sand down everything an inch or so along the bottom and then paint it a totally different color? (ie: Black/dark grey). That way it kinda blends in/looks like weather stripping or concrete instead?

I mean, I guess you could also do the same thing an inch along all the edges to make it match a little more, but that seems like an excessive amount of work...

[Nufy]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

I was recently referred this company. https://www.empirehealthandsafety.com Haven’t used them yet but will be when I get to that point.

A contractor I am looking at using wants to ensure that the ceiling insulation does not contain asbestos.

Anyone done it recently ?

Cost / Recommended company for testing ?

[speede5]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

What if you didn't try and blend it with the door? Sand down everything an inch or so along the bottom and then paint it a totally different color? (ie: Black/dark grey). That way it kinda blends in/looks like weather stripping or concrete instead?

I mean, I guess you could also do the same thing an inch along all the edges to make it match a little more, but that seems like an excessive amount of work...

Don't do black, everytime you glance over you'll think the door didn't close right. that would drive me nuts.

[81MC]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

I've got a question about garage door rust, like this:



So my garage door has rust along the bottom. I did some research and I know that I have to clean up the rust, sand them down, and then repaint it.

I know that if I just repaint the part I sanded off, there will be a colour blend-in issue. But I do not want to repaint the whole door.

Any suggestions? Can I get some weather stripping and nailed it along the bottom to cover up the sanded off area? Or does that not going to work?

Won’t a small colour difference be less visible than an obvious piece of oddly installed trim/weatherstrip? It’s white, on the bottom of a faux wood garage door; Feather it out with a brush, hit it with a scotch pad if it’s too shiny afterwards and call it a day? You also don’t want a cavity where water can drip down and get trapped behind.

Also, for cleaning up the rust, you could try some Muriatic acid for a real quick and through rust removal. Rinse it off after and you’re pretty well ready for prime/paint.

[lazypucker]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

What if you didn't try and blend it with the door? Sand down everything an inch or so along the bottom and then paint it a totally different color? (ie: Black/dark grey). That way it kinda blends in/looks like weather stripping or concrete instead?

I mean, I guess you could also do the same thing an inch along all the edges to make it match a little more, but that seems like an excessive amount of work...

Originally Posted by speede5

Don't do black, everytime you glance over you'll think the door didn't close right. that would drive me nuts.

All I want is to get rid of the eyesore of rust. May be I should get a colour that is somewhat matching the original door and try to blend in as much as I can? How do I even know what is the colour code of my door so that I can go to Home Depot to get matching paint?

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

All I want is to get rid of the eyesore of rust. May be I should get a colour that is somewhat matching the original door and try to blend in as much as I can? How do I even know what is the colour code of my door so that I can go to Home Depot to get matching paint?

Color wise, either you just eyeball it and grab something close, or gotta use color swatches.

Color codes and names can differ from brand to brand and they can display differently on a digital screen. I wouldn't rely on the code and names (I made this mistake once and it was a completely different color). When selecting paint, you may also need to consider that sometimes there's options like matte/gloss etc.

I think you can always borrow swatches from a hardware/paint store and then bring it back. I think if you take a pic with your phone, you can get the specific color range of swatches you need vs an entire booklet of all the colors?


If it were me (as a practical vs proper method and I'd consider myself capable, not a handyman though), I'd consider using something like CLR to clean off the rust without wrecking the paint around it? Once dry, use a spray paint can that's close in enough in color, use painters' tape to do a straight line and spray paint the bottom 1-2 inches? (slight discoloration if color is slightly darker might just just look like some dirt that splashed up or something).

Using the above method, I don't know if you could also in theory just clean off the rust and get a clear coat to seal it and avoid it rusting again? (although it might reflect light in a funny way)

Proper way might be to clean/sand and then paint it with a proper outdoor paint and also attempt to apply a feathering technique?

[Fuzz]

Peeve of mine. Why can't all the paint companies just make "white"? like, just create one global standard white, and I never have to worry about it again. We must have the technology by now. I went to get a soffit matched, and the dude says they have 27 shades of white! ####, just give me the white one. No, not that one, dummy. The white.